The Buddha teaches the five powers of a lady and declares that heavenly rebirth comes from the power of ethical behavior, not from attractiveness, wealth, relatives, or children.
“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, mātugāmassa balāni. Katamāni pañca? Rūpabalaṁ, bhogabalaṁ, ñātibalaṁ, puttabalaṁ, sīlabalaṁ.
Na, bhikkhave, mātugāmo rūpabalahetu vā bhogabalahetu vā ñātibalahetu vā puttabalahetu vā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati. Sīlabalahetu kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca mātugāmassa balānī”ti.
Sattamaṁ.
Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).
“Pañcimāni, bhikkhave, mātugāmassa balāni.
“Mendicants, there are these five powers of a lady.
Katamāni pañca?
What five?
Rūpabalaṁ, bhogabalaṁ, ñātibalaṁ, puttabalaṁ, sīlabalaṁ.
Attractiveness, wealth, relatives, children, and ethical behavior.
Na, bhikkhave, mātugāmo rūpabalahetu vā bhogabalahetu vā ñātibalahetu vā puttabalahetu vā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
It is not because of the powers of attractiveness, wealth, relatives, or children that ladies, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
Sīlabalahetu kho, bhikkhave, mātugāmo kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati.
It is because of the power of ethical behavior that ladies, when their body breaks up, after death, are reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.
Imāni kho, bhikkhave, pañca mātugāmassa balānī”ti.
These are the five powers of a lady.”
Sattamaṁ.
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Last updated on July 27, 2026